Dads Like You
by Spoot Poot
Summary: Jack' Son. Lock and Shocks daughter...Travel to Christmas Town...and discover something.


Spoot: just in time for Christmas!

Jack: If people read it in time!

Sally: It's the thought!

Spoot: I'm sure someone will.

Dads Like You.

Jack looked over at a very Floppy looking young man, with hollow eyes. The boy was placing something VERY sharp on a VERY ugly tree. Sally approached the tree, with a sting of eye balls. "Why do we do this every year?" Floppy asked, letting the sharp object penetrate his hand. Jack pulled the sharp object from his son's hand. "Its tradition...If it weren't for Christmas, you wouldn't be here." Said sally, placing the sting around the tree.

"Christmas?" Floppy began, "I don't like that name, can't we call it something else?" he reached for the object Jack had taken from him, Jack pulled away and places the object high up on the tree, so Floppy couldn't reach it. "technically, if it weren't for Zero, He wouldn't never have been created. If I recall a very mischievous rag doll tried to ruin my holiday!"

Sally placed her hands on her hips. "That Rag Doll cared about you, FIRST OF ALL! and secondly, it was never your holiday!"

Jack turned to her, and smiled warmly. "Oh come now. I was joking, really." Jack looked in deep thought for a moment, and his smile faded. "Well, really...I suppose, it's The witch sisters...If they hadnt crowded me..."

"No no, I do believe it was Swamp Thing. He was very persistent to touch you and all." Said Sally.

His parents were distracted ..it was time to get the heck outta here! Floppy did just that. He hated the idea of Christmas...Peace on Earth...Good Will? Who was Will! and what a goodie two shoes! BLAH! stupid holiday! he wanted nothing more than to scare people out of their pants, like his father! But he found that hard to do when all those old folks just wanted to be cheerful and friendly. AWFUL!

As he wondered the street, he found himself running into Stock. She was very happy to see him as they bumped into each other. "OH! FLOPPY!" She exclaimed, as she hit the ground. Floppy fell to the ground in pieces. "I'm so sorry!" She exclaims, helping to put him back together. Stock was the offspring of Lock and Shock. The two were the same age. and she was just as insane as he was.

She was dressed like a vampire, Floppy realized. where as every one else was dressed in some kind of holiday cheer...yuck. he was finally put back together. "You don't look so good?" He said to her, and she blushed. "Thank you." She said, looking around shyly. Floppy took a deep breath. "Anyway...why arent you all Christmased?" Stock looked up at him. "HA! are you kidding! I hate this new tradition!"

"It's not new..." Floppy reminded. Stock placed her hands on her hips. "I don't care! I hate it! everyone is decorating something, and not scaring people!"

"Well, we can't do it all year round." Said Floppy.

"Oh yes we can! people get scared every day, When you think about it. and Why not get scared on Christmas!" Stock had a look in her eye.

Floppy knew that look. He had seen it only on his father. That was the look of pure insainity...and She looked good in it.

"I have a very terrible idea..." Stock said in his ear, she then handed it backs to him.

He stuck his ear back to the side of his face with saliva and gave her a worried look.

"Yes, yes...today is Christmas...who says we can't scare people today? Who says we cant mess a few things up? this is our JOB! This is what were good at! This is what we should be doing." She said, she then adjusted her cape. Floppy turned to go, but she grabbed his shoulder. "Gunna go tell daddy?" She asked. Floppy turned back to her. "Well, yeah!" He said. She shook her head. "No you're not..." Her voice was low when she spoke, and her eyes got dark.

* * *

Sally looked around. "Yeah, no, I think you're right. It was Sandy." Jack said. The two had argued for about an hour on who had inspired Jacks psychosis. "Shut up Jack..." Sally snapped. Jack looked up at her. "Hmm? you in the mood or something?" She lifted a hand and looked around. "Sshhh sh...Wheres Flop?"

Jack looked around. "He must have slipped out." He said.

Just then the door burst open and Lock, Shock, and Berral entered. "doesnt anyone knock any more!" Shouted Sally. Berral reached up, and knocked on her forehead. Shock and Lock cackled. "Ah, what are you guys doing here?" Jack said, placing his hands up in surrender, to calm them.

Shock turned to him. "Stock's gone." She said.

"Thats funny, so is Floppy." Said Sally, smacking Berral to the ground, then looking innocent again. Jack laughed. "Lets try to remember, they are teenagers, and they do care for each other. They perhaps went to the patch to sit and talk."

"Do yo hear yourself Bone Man!" Shouted Lock. "Knowing them...They're not talking!"

"Knowing Stock." Said Shock. "We hafta find them, before she gets him pregnant or something." She finished with a laugh.

Floppy reached down and pulled up a hand full of snow, then began to lick it. Stock looked over at him, her jaw dropped, and she slapped the snow from his hands. He whimpered. "Stop it, we have work to do!" She snapped.

The two teens were in Christmas Town. Why go to the real world at that moment? No one would be scared of them there. People were jaded this day and age, what with their computer videos, and Zombie apps. Whatever that ment. no, here in Christmas town, people would be frightened beyond belief and Christmas would pay for what it had done to their town of Halloween!

"alright, now pay attention, got it. Your dad took you here when you were little, now you gatta tell me where to go first...AHH! Put it down!" She reached over, and slapped more snow out of Flop's hand. "Darn it women!" He snapped, becoming upset, he put his fingers in his mouth, stretching his cheeks out, and screeching. She didn't flinch. She placed her hands on her hips. "Oh please." She said, Then began to make her way down the hill of snow.

* * *

"Where could they have gone?" Said Sally. The family was all standing in The Doctors lab. Finklestine looked up at his creation, and took her hand and pat it. "Dont worry my dear, they'll turn up. Your son is more like you than you think." He let her hand go and began to maneuver his chair to face Jack. "You know how they say, your kids will put you through the same thing you put your parents through." He turned his head and looked at Sally, who smiled at him and let out a giggle. "Was I really that bad?" She asked.

The Doctor maneuvered his chair around the room as he spoke. "The worst. Every time I turned around, you would poison me and run off." Sally laughed. Jack looked over at her, his jaw dropped. "Not as innocent as you think." The doctor said to Jack. "Is she?" He finished. "No..." Said Jack.

"you have them on your side, They can help you. Look at them. They never grew up!" Finklestine snapped as he pointed to the three grown up children. Lock, Shock, and Berral. the three giggled to each other, Then Shock spoke up for her cohorts. "Yes, well, I may know what to do, but as for them, well, lets face it...they're stupid!" Lock placed his hands on his hips. "SHUT UP!" He snapped. "MAKE ME!" She shouted, and the three of them began to try to kill each other, that was until Jack stopped them, by making a face, and screeching. He looked over at the other two when he had the three hoodlums subdued. "Works every time." He said with a smug grin.

* * *

"This? This is Sandy's work shop?" Stock declared, stretching her hand out at an old decapitated building. "Well..." Floppy began, stepping toward it. "It does look different...I remember it being very pretty, and cheerful, and full of lights and-"

"Well, it's not. Looks like someone got to it before we did!" She snapped. As the two stood there, looking on at the old building, there came a glow of red from a distance, and before long, a strange looking animal had approached them. Stock was the first to notice the creature. It was thin and gangling and its nose glowed red. "What the Oogie is that?" She said. Floppy looked, and nearly fell to the grown with shock. "I don't know! hello? are you lost?"

"who are you?" The creature spoke, and both kids let out a holler, and jumped into each others arms. "did it just say something?" Asked Floppy. "I think so!" Said Stock. The two climbed off of each other, and approached the creature. "Who, or what, are you?" Said Floppy.

"My name is Rudolph, and I am one of Santa's reindeer." He said, hanging his head. "What happened to this place?" Floppy asked. Rudolph looked up with tear filled eyes. "It's a long story." He said.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Asked Berral. They were all in the middle of the Holiday Trees. "Well, I figured, we looked all over Halloween Town, why not look all over other towns..." Said Sally. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into. I've been to Christmas." Said Jack. "And we have been to Easter." Said Shock. "Look, I understand, we take a peek into every one of them, untill we find our kids." Said sally, determination crossing her face. Something Jack had fallen in love with long ago.

* * *

"So, basically, greed?" Said Floppy. Rudolph lowered his head. "Huh, well, that's what you get! don't you know, humans are a Greedy, jaded bunch. They appreciate nothing, but want everything!" Said Stock, all the while, Floppy was trying to hush her. "No, She's right." Said the deer. "I've tried to make everyone understand that, but everyone is blinded by their instinct." Floppy looked over at Stock, giving her an eye. "Dont!" she snapped. "We scare people, that's what we do!"

"Yeah, and they make toys." Rudolph said, pointing toward some disfigured elves, blindly trudging through the snow to the work shop. "Christmas is killing us." He said softly.

* * *

Sally, Jack, and the three miscreants looked around. This place smelled yummy. Sally spotted a table in the distance, and she pointed it out to the others. they nodded and everyone made their way to it.

It looked delish. The table was set with food. A man was sitting at the table, and when they approached, he looked up. "You come, and you sit, and you give thanks." He said. The three psychos sat down and began to dig in, table manners be damned. Jack and Sally grabbed them up. "Sorry Mister Turkey guy. Have you seen some kids running around here? one is dressed like a Vampire. The man looked confused. "He hasn't seen them." Said Berral. "Yeah, we would know if he had." Said Lock. Sally sighed.

* * *

"Think about it. We are who we are, because we need to be. and you are who you are, because people need you to be! They love you!" Said Floppy. He was speaking to Santa himself. "And what about you. I knew your father...that man had a look about him/ The kids love him dearly, they love to be scared, its fun." Said Santa. "Oh please. Halloween is just an excuse now, for people to dress up in the tightest, shortest outfits, and get drunk! Said Stock. "And you think my holiday is not the same way?!" Snapped Santa. "I wish miss's Clause looked half as good as one of those drunk blonds dressed like her!" Floppy looked sad. "So we agree that Holidays are meant for nothing more than to get wasted and take cloths off."

* * *

Lock, Shock, and Berral approached the bunny with caution. "We just wanna know where the kids are..." Said Lock, holding up a carrot. the bunny sniffed, then took the carrot and began to nibble, then... remembered, that's how they got him last time. He dropped the carrot, squeaked, and bounced away. "Not here..." Said Shock.

Jack looked shocked, and covered his ears, Sally did the same, as did the other three. another loud boom sounded. fire works. An elderly man approached them. He was an Uncle of some sort, as he explained it. His name was Sam, and he was testing the fire works for the upcoming 4th, as he explained it, but there were no children here.

* * *

Floppy and Stock had decided they had enough of depression, despite the fact that Christmas was meant to be jolly. They were gunna go home.

* * *

Jack looked up. "You haven't had enough!" Cupid snapped, pointing an arrow at the grope. "I'm not here to bother you! I just need to know if you've seen any kids running around here!" Cupid looked over at Sally. "This your wife?" He asked, landing, and putting away the arrow. "Yes." Said Sally. "hmmm..." Cupid placed a chubby hand on his stubble chin. "Not bad Jack." He said. Jack chuckled nervously. Sally gave him a look. "How does he know you?" She asked.

* * *

"Where have you two been!" Asked the Mayor. His face was switched to unhappy. "Christmas." Said Floppy, he was walking hand in hand with the little Vampire girl. they did not stop to explain.

* * *

"there are babies here too!" Shouted Lock, pointing at a small person dressed in Green. "and he had a beard too!" Shouted Shock. The little guy stopped and looked over at them. "YER HERE FOR ME GOLD!" He shouted. "nooo. We're here for our kids, have you seen them?" Jack asked, kneeling in front of the little man. "No, no kids here! none, don't ask again, now get out of here! before I put you all out on your arse!" He shouted, going back to building a colorful bridge.

The group was standing in the circle of trees. "We've looked everywhere, they're nowhere!" said Berral. "Well, almost everywhere?" Jack said looking over at the door leading to Christmas town. Sally placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort. "I'll go." She said. Jack shook his head. "No, that's ok, let me do this...Alone..." He warned, when Lock, Shock, and Berral approached the door.

* * *

"I just cant believe that's Christmas town." Said Floppy. Stock entered the room as he spoke, serving him a cup of worm bog water. "Thank you." He said. She sat down and reached over and pat his leg. "Like I said, it serves them right."

"No, no one deserves that kind of life." Said Flop. "What life." stock scoffed. So floppy gave her a look, "Honestly...I don't know-"

Just then the door swung open, and in walked the grope of parents, and Berral. "WHAT DID YOU DO!" Shouted Jack. Floppy shot up, tossing the cup of Bog water everywhere. "Jack.." Sally began, placing a hand on her husbands shoulder. He was Irate. "I didn't do anything!" Shouted Floppy. "Oh no! They why is it, when I went to Christmas Town, the place was a mess, and Sandy said you two had been there!" Flop looked over at Stock, who was getting apprehended by her father, Lock.

"I didn't do that! It was like that when we got there!"

"Is that so!" Snapped Jack.

"YES! I swear. I spoke to Santa himself."

Jack sat down in a chair. "Really?"

Flop nodded. "Rudolph explained everything...Its greed Dad, GREED!"

"Rudolph?"

"The one with the red nose."

"Hold on..." Shock said, crossing the room. "Greed? sounds like an Oogie thing." She said. Sally looked worried, Jack looked angrily in deep thought, Berral looked for a lolly pop. A habit he picked up. Something to help him deal with Oogies abuse. He hadn't craved one in years. Shock began to try to calm him.

"Oogie?" Asked Floppy. Sally looked down at jack, who looked up at her, then nodded and looked over at his son.

Jack had taken the young man for a walk around town, to try to explain Oogie, and his role in Halloween. He was after all, The boogie man. "Its like we say, we scare people, but we're not mean. and Oogie, well, he was mean. There was a darkness in him that could not be explained. He had your mother, and Sandy captured at one point, he was going to kill them. We don't kill people, we go 'boo' and hide in the shadows, but never kill." He looked down at his son. "I'm not mean." Said Flop. "I know that." said Jack. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"If all you said was true, then we must do something, we haf to save Christmas, don't you think?" Floppy looked up at his Dad. "I dunno. Its more along the lines of humans. Oogie had the right idea."

"FLOP!"

"Hear me out dad. While he was wrong, and insane, he had a good idea...People are no longer afraid of us, they have no spirit of Christmas. They refuse to believe in the Easter Bunny. They no longer sit at the table with their family for thanksgiving dinner...They have no pride in Uncle Sam, they have no idea what a leprechaun even is, and The magic of The rainbow..."

Jack had his face covered. His boy was right. And there was nothing any of them, ANY of them could do. no, it was up to The humans themselves, to fix the mess they had gotten themselves into.

"And forget about love." Flop continued. "You know what Santa told me? People don't love each other any more. They don't care." Jack looked over at his boy. "Do you believe in all these things?" He asked. "Well, sure Dad. But that's because you taught me to."

"And if I hadn't?"

"I suppose, I would be like them..."

Jack felt his heart flutter. He felt like he really had been a good Dad all these years. He had done his job right, and raised his son to love, and never lose his belief! to be strong in what he believed in, and never let someone take that from him, and the world was losing that.

"Perhaps what the world needs..." Flop began, sitting down on a pumpkin, "Is more dads like you."

Spoot: Merry Christmas Everyone!

Jack: And A happy Halloween.

Sally: ...Jack...

Jack: ^_^


End file.
